Who Me?

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. And the LORD called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” (1 Samuel 3:1-10 ESV). When Tony Campolo was 9 years old, he was baptized and joined the church along with two other young boys. Forty years later, Tony decided to dig into the old church records of the year he was baptized. There in the archives were the names of the three boys: Tony, Dick, and Bert. Dick had become a missionary. Bert was a professor of theology at an African seminary. Tony was a college teacher, conference speaker, and author. All three lives had been dedicated to service for God. Then he read the church report for that year. It said, "It has not been a good year for our church. We lost 27 members. Three people joined the church, but they were only children." Only children? Hardly. Any life, young or old, redeemed by Christ can be the beginning of God-honoring service. It is bittersweet when a person trusts God only as he takes his last gasp of air. However, more tragic than this is the attitude that many people have about themselves as they see themselves as unimportant. They are astonished at the call of God in their lives. No one should ask the question, “Who me?” when faced with the call of God. The Bible gives us examples of how people were used to bring glory to God. A young boy sharing his lunch became the occasion for Jesus to show His miraculous power by feeding the 5,000. Daniel showed great courage and became an unforgettable demonstration of God's protection. The boy Samuel listened to God and became an important prophet. Young David fought a giant with only a slingshot, and later he became King of Israel. God knows our true potential. I like the way Ray Boltz sings about it in his song "Shepherd Boy." Where others see a shepherd boy, God may see a king. When God looks at you and me, what does He see? Answer the Lord today with “Here I am Lord.”

Forgiving and Forgetting

And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matthew 6:5-14 ESV). Bill Vossler was only 7 when he disobeyed his mother and stopped with his younger brother to visit the old couple in the house by the water tower. The man and woman held the boys on their laps, hugged them, and gave them coins and cookies. When Bill showed his mother the coins, she screamed and flushed them down the toilet. "I said stay away from them!" she shouted. "Don't ever go there again. Forget about them!" Not long after that, the old couple moved away and the event faded from Bill's mind. Thirty years later back home on a visit, Bill glanced at the water tower and it revived the memory. He asked his mother about the old couple. "Who were they and why was I supposed to forget them?" Her face turned white. "You really don't know?" she asked. After a long silence she said, "They were Jacob and Christina Vossler. Your father's mother and father. Your grandparents." When Bill was 4, his father had abandoned the family. For years, Bill's stepfather drove the old couple away when they tried to visit. Anger and shame separated the two families. Now that he knew the truth, Bill wondered if he could ever forget his pain and loss. Writing in Hemispheres magazine, Bill Vossler concluded: "Forgetting is only the final step, dependent first on forgiving, forgiving ourselves for our part in the fray and others for theirs. Forgive and forget. It is not coincidence that forgive is first, followed by forget. One frees us to do the other." We often have difficulty with these words of Jesus: "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Sounding harsh, these words guide us into the process of forgiving and being forgiven which is a marvelous gift from God for all who inhabit this world of pain. There is no escaping the sequence. To be forgiven, you should forgive. To be free, you should forget. How’s your memory?

One Little Word

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:1-11 ESV). It was only one word with just two letters in it that caused 583 deaths. It happened on March 27, 1977. The pilot of a Boeing 747 radioed the tower, "We are now at take-off," as his jet, wrapped in thick fog, began rumbling down a runway in the Canary Islands. He made a poor choice of words. The air traffic controller took the statement to mean that the Big Boeing was idling at the takeoff point, waiting for further instructions. That's why he didn't warn the pilot that another plane, a Pan Am 747, was cloaked in thick white mist, just ahead. The Boeing pilot, thinking everything was cleared for taxi and takeoff accelerated down the runway. Suddenly, there was the sickening crunch of metal and a tragic mid-air collision that resulted in the deaths of 583 people. The word at, a preposition, is the word that sealed the fate of this tragedy. Just a simple word, but it caused some serious devastation. Every day you and I make decisions about the words that we use. Sometimes we are involved in conversations that require us to give counsel, to provide direction for others. The words we choose to give may be words of life, or words of destruction. Many times we can turn these conversations to the ultimate answers found in God and His Word. But we can't counsel or witness if we don't have the words. God's Word is living. It's powerful. It will not return to Him empty. But if we're empty, ignorant of verses and passages that would really help people, it's likely we're going to cause more devastation than positive direction. We may say "at," when it should have been so much clearer, so much stronger, so completely based on what God has said. When you're "at takeoff" in your next conversation, choose your words carefully. Prepare yourself with Words of life!

A Frayed Thread

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:17-27 ESV). Not very often do I find myself sewing. However, there are those times when I need to put a button back on, or do some small repair to a garment. The thing that frustrates me the most is trying to thread the needle! I suppose it’s more a function of not being able to see very well than anything else is, but it is difficult to do. That's especially true when the thread frays and only a part of the thread goes into the needle. The more I thought about today's Scripture, the more I was reminded of trying to thread the needle with frayed thread. As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Notice the attitude of the rich young ruler. He ran to Jesus. The ruler was not arrogant. He was genuinely seeking an answer. Jesus told the man to sell all his possessions and follow Him. Christ knew that the man's wealth was interfering with full devotion to Christ. Sadly the man chose his earthly wealth over eternal wealth. Then, Jesus explains to His disciples: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Now go back to the image of the frayed thread and the eye of the needle. If they were tightly wound together, there wouldn't be much of a problem in getting the thread into the eye. Often there are those "loose ends" we allow to exist in our lives that keep us from the fullness of the Holy Spirit. What do you need to "tie up" today? What is keeping you from becoming a more fully devoted follower of Christ? What excess cords do you need to remove? Past hurts? Past broken relationships? Past sorrows or regrets? How about present worldly desires? Are these frayed ends keeping you away from His strength? Let the power of Christ put your thread back together today!

The Wonder of Spring

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (Luke 24:1-7 ESV). As we see the end of February and March approaching, it always signals the coming of spring to me; and, that brings me to Easter. Just like Easter, Spring is a season of wonder. Someone has said: • It is the wonder of watching a rosebud outside the living room window as the petals unfold through the morning hours with a beauty that words cannot speak. • It is the wonder in the face of a child wading into a shallow stream and picking up a polished pebble with its flecks of beauty sparkling in the sun. • It is the wonder of the stillness of the wilderness as you come upon a little lake tucked away in the freshly dressed glory of spring, and you hold your breath for a moment and before you leave this lovely place. • It is the wonder of God’s grace expressed through worship as His people enjoin themselves to celebrate the glorious resurrection of His Son by reading the Easter Story and reminding themselves of the glad message that never grows old: “He is not here; He is risen.” • It is the marvelous wonder of corporate worship in a packed church on Easter Sunday morning with people smiling and enthusiastically articulating the very ethos of their faith by singing the words of Charles Wesley: “Christ the Lord has risen today, Hallelujah...Hallelujah...Hallelujah!” • It is wonder of the mischievous grin of a little boy who has put the cold of winter behind him and longs only to enjoy God’s greater out-of-doors with a fishing pole, a can of worms and his little dog. • It is the spiritual wonder of reminding myself that behind the chilling frost of winter, there is the wonderful warmth of spring. • The wonder that behind the cold winds of December, January and February, there is a warm sunshine of March, April and May. Behind every Good Friday, there is always a bright Easter Sunday morning. Behind the darkness of an old rugged Cross, there is the brightness of an empty tomb. Celebrate that brightness today with joy in all you do and say!

The Tests of Discipleship

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62 ESV). In these verses, Jesus defines three tests of our discipleship. In each test, He calls for our self-discipline and immediate action. As you read them, remember He is talking to believers. 1. The first test is that of complete obedience. Jesus told the enthusiastic young man that he needed to “follow” Him. It was a call to complete obedience. Eugene Petersen writes in his book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: “It is not difficult in our world to get a person interested in the message of the Gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest. Millions of people in our culture make decisions for Christ, but there is a dreadful attrition rate. Many claim to have been born again, but the evidence for mature Christian discipleship is slim. In our kind of culture anything, even news about God, can be sold if it is packaged freshly; but when it loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.” 2. The second test is that of complete sacrifice. In our scripture, Jesus tells us that the Son of man does not even have a place to lay his head. In this verse Jesus may well be speaking of the suffering which he is about to undergo for our salvation. His illustration of not having a place to lay his head indicates to us that even the simple comforts, which we think are absolute necessities, are not as important as our service to the kingdom of God. When the young man asked Jesus if he could go and bury his father, this was a request to wait until he received his inheritance. He asked Jesus if he could wait until he had more money to be more comfortable in his life of discipleship. Jesus’ answer is very revealing! Nothing short of a willingness to completely sacrifice everything will do. 3. The third test is that of complete trust. Looking back is always destructive to the disciple of Christ. It diverts our attention away from our future. We need to look forward in faith and trust. Regardless of our failures and missteps, the power of the Holy Spirit within us is enough to bring us forgiveness and victory. I have never been very good at second-guessing God! Just about the time I think I understand what He’s doing in my life, a wonderful surprise jumps up to greet me! These have sometimes been painful; while at other times they were very pleasant. At no time has God ever given me cause not to trust Him. How about you? Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Are you looking back today? Face forward and move confidently in trust!

That Little Speck

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:1-5 ESV). I have heard this story several different times and several different ways. I really love the lesson it teaches. People are not always as they seem to be, and it is important to remember that when dealing with others. You think you know why someone behaves the way they do. You think you know why someone says the things they do. You think you know their story. You may be wrong. Here’s the story: Jack (not his real name) was in an airport waiting for his plane to arrive. While he was waiting, he decided to get a snack. He walked over to a food stand and bought a bag of cookies. After purchasing the cookies, Jack dropped them in his bag, and walked over to his designated waiting area to sit down. After a few minutes, a stranger sat next to him. Jack smiled briefly at the stranger, and reached his hand down into his bag for a cookie. After a few moments, the stranger also reached down and grabbed a cookie. “What was this guy doing?” Jack said to himself. “Is he crazy?” Jack wanted to say something, but decided to ignore the stranger. One cookie wasn't a big deal. Just then, he reached down and took another one. Jack was getting a little uneasy. Who did this guy think he was? Doesn't he know how rude and strange it was to take other people's things? This wasn't something Jack would ever do, and he expected the same manners from his uninvited guest. This stealing of the cookies continued for several minutes. Jack would take one, and then the stranger would take one. Back and forth. Jack was getting more and more irritated and upset when the stranger looked at Jack. Jack was a little scared. He looked down and saw the stranger holding a cookie in his hand. The stranger broke it in two, and handed Jack one half. After that, he stood up and left without a word. He just smiled at Jack, and nodded his head. This ruined Jack's whole day. He couldn't stop thinking about the rude stranger. How people were raised to act like that he couldn't understand. Still hungry, Jack went to buy another bag of cookies. He walked over to the same counter, and bought some more cookies. As he set them in his bag, he felt something. When Jack looked down, he noticed his first bag of cookies. It was then that he realized he was reaching down into the stranger's bag! He was the crazy one. He was the rude one. He was what annoyed him most. The funny thing is, the stranger didn't seem to mind as much as Jack! Funny how sometimes we really don’t have enough facts or enough information to really make a sound judgment about others and their behavior. Be careful trying to get that “speck” out of your friend’s eye!